Can the Lilywhites take the title this year?
by guest writer

The Premier League season is less than a week away and managers are closing in on final deals to make sure their squads are up to the task of winning this year’s title.

Last year, Manchester City took the crown with 86 points, while Spurs faltered behind in sixth place with 69 points. While they managed to qualify for the 2014-15 Europa League Playoff Round, the boys have a little more to do if they’re going to come back from a few embarrassing moments last year.

Namely, the team’s lacklustre 5-0 defeat at home to Liverpool left a lot to be desired in December, a game which marked the most goals scored in an away game for any team during the season. However, with two of the goals scored courtesy of Luis Suárez, Tottenham should at least find comfort in Suárez’s absence from the Premier League this season, courtesy of a transfer to Barcelona.

However, despite signing a new boss, Spurs are currently ranked at 50/1 to win this year’s Premier League, so they may need to make a few key transfers before August 16th.

One key transfer that new manager Mauricio Pochettino has got his eye on is Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin, who has reportedly rejected the initial offer. Despite Southampton’s complete team breakdown recently, which has seen star players signed to Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal, the Saints are going to need a little convincing to sell off Schneiderlin.

It’s alleged that Pochettino has offered up Belgian player Nacer Chadli in exchange for Schneiderlin, but as yet manager Ronald Koeman has not budged. Meanwhile, Jay Rodriguez could also be in the firing line for Spurs. With 15 goals under his belt last season, he could be deemed a worthy investment, but with an ongoing knee injury, Pochettino should be cautious before making any sudden movements.

Tottenham have been making some smaller, less ambitious purchases which could be the injection of fresh meat that the team needs. Namely, Swansea City youngster Ben Davies has been signed as the team’s newest left back for a fee of £12.7m, while Dutch goalkeeper Michel Vorm brings his age and experience to the team. Vorm was a member of The Netherlands' World Cup Squad, and as a former Swansea City player, will already have great chemistry with Davies.

Spurs may only have an outside chance of taking this year’s title, but with odds of 9/1 to be the top ranking London club, the team have an exciting season to look forward to.

Image of Morgan Schneiderlin courtesy of:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_Schneiderlin#

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